Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Did you all enjoy getting outside today for an Easter egg hunt? We all enjoyed a beautiful afternoon outside with Mountain Man target shooting. DR bought a 9mm Beretta the other day and this was the first chance we had to shoot. It sure was fun!  I could have stayed out for a lot longer 

Yip was sure he could shoot the pistol too.  With a little bit of help from his uncle, who said Yip needed to lift more weights to heft it, he emptied the magazine pretty handily. 

On our way home we had a nice nature show. Look at that beautiful storm system.  I sure hope it was falling on my garden too. 

When I first moved to Kansas I assumed it never rained here. I didn't realize we were in the middle of a drought. With all the green around us this spring life in general has been much more pleasant. I really believe nature has a much bigger impact on our well being than we realize. 

Part of me felt bad for skipping church on Easter Sunday to spend time with my brother. Though I think God understands.  He has granted me many wonderful gifts, far more than I deserve, and I enjoyed most of them today. Happy Easter 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! 

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”  “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”  Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

What a blessed promise to behold today! Praise God!! 

Sunday Devotions - Greater love has no one....

 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).


Normally, I wouldn't repost some one else's devotion but this week Our Daily Bread had a wonderful devotion that I thought was just so perfect for Easter so here it is. 

Bill and his wife were driving through the Rocky Mountains when a near-miss with a truck caused their car to swerve off the road and plunge into the Colorado River. After scrambling out of their sinking vehicle, they frantically treaded water in the swift current. A truck driver, who had seen the accident, ran ahead along the shore and threw a rope to them. Bill swam behind his wife and pushed her to where she could grab the rope—and the man pulled her out. Bill, however, was carried downstream and didn’t survive. He had given his life for the woman he loved.

To give your life so another person can live is the ultimate proof of love. During the night that Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples of His intention to give His life in exchange for mankind. He told them: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). And then He set the ultimate example of self-sacrifice by going to the cross.

Have you ever given any thought to the fact that Jesus did that for you—that He died in your place? In so doing, He not only proved His love for you, but He also made it possible for you to be forgiven of your sins and to have an eternal home in heaven.

Jesus told his disciples before the Cross that he had to die that he knew it would happen and it was something he wasn't going to run away from but still they didn't understand. I think even today's Christian can be just as thick! I've been raised in the church and heard the Easter story year after year but it took a couple decades until the meaning of the Cross REALLY sank in. Even now though, I sometimes wonder if I truly understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for me. 

Dear Heavenly Father, Oh what a sacrifice you gave for us...for ME! I'm so unworthy of such a gift yet it was given free of charge, without strings attached, through GRACE alone. How humbling to be loved so very much by You Lord! Help me to live my life worthy of such a gift. Amen. 

Marker Monday - Don't Pack up those Easter Decorations Yet!!!!

Do you still have your plastic Easter eggs out? Well don't pack them up yet. Yap did a very fun, but VERY MESSY, painting with them over the weekend.

Look! He's created a Pollock!

Okay, you probably only got that joke if you are an art nerd like me.

First, you need an Easter egg that has holes in the bottom. It will probably have holes in both the top and bottom. Take a minute and cover one end of it securely with Scotch tape.

Then place a little craft paint and water in the bottom section of the egg, the end with the tape on it, and stir it up to make a very watered down paint. It helps if they are held in an egg carton.

Put the top on, grab some paper and go outside. Yes, outside because this is messy!

Dribble the watered down paint out of the holes!

Yap went pretty wild with this and had just as much paint on his feet as he did on his paper.

I'm sure glad we did this outside!

Happy Easter!!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[a] gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:5-8

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:14-17

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20: 29

May God Bless you and yours this wonderful Easter morning as we celebrate the eternal gift of Jesus Christ.

Marker Monday - Number Easter Baskets

Tomorrow Yahoo and I go to our playgroup and tomorrow's theme is Spring and Easter. We have kids ranging from one to four years old so we try to come up with games and activities that everyone can do even if they have to get a bit of help from Mom or Dad.

Yahoo is beginning to understand the concept of counting so I came up with this activity to work on counting and number recognition.

We are big fruit cup eaters in our house so I washed up ten of them and used a hole punch to put holes on opposite sides of the cup. Twisted pipe cleaners make sturdy handles and with a number on the bottom of each we now have Number Easter Baskets.

With a handful of eggs (marbles) the kids get to be the Easter Bunny and put the right number of eggs in each basket.

Yahoo's only two and a long way from knowing her numbers but I'm sure some of the older kids will enjoy this game tomorrow.

This Easter Bunny just realized I better get on the ball, Easter is this weekend and don't have anything for the baskets. Wait...where are the Easter baskets? Yikes!!  

What are your Easter plans this year?

Photo Thursday - In honor of Maundy Thursday

In honor of Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday, I've decided to post photos of the play DR was in last night. Every year, men of the community from all different churches come together to portray the Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, at the moment after Jesus announces one of them will betray him. Each disciple gets up and speaks about his meeting Jesus and pondering whether it is he who will betray Jesus. This play gives such a human outlook of love and confusion the disciples must have felt.  Sorry, none of these photos are the best. A dark church and no flashes allowed! :) 

My hubby DR played Peter...............................................and our minister played Phillip. Great job guys!!

Here Jesus is washing DR's (Peter's) feet. Jesus is braver than I am.

May you have a  reflective Maundy Thursday and joyful Easter!!